This invention relates generally to a method and system for monitoring the performance of generally complex equipment, and, more particularly, to a computer-based method and system for servicing a mobile asset subject to utilization loss factors delaying the completion of servicing and the timely return of the asset to operation.
The diagnosis, repair, maintenance and/or other servicing of generally complex equipment, such as mobile assets that may include on-road or off-road vehicles, ships, airplanes, railroad locomotives, trucks, and other forms of complex equipment including industrial equipment, consumer appliance equipment, medical imaging equipment, equipment used in industrial processes, telecommunications, aerospace applications, power generation, etc., involves extremely complex and time consuming processes. In the case of transportation equipment, the efficient and cost-effective operation of a vehicle or fleet of vehicles demands minimization of the number of vehicle failures while in use, minimization of vehicle downtime and the expeditious and accurate performance of diagnostic, repair, maintenance and/or other services to the vehicles. Diagnosing problems associated with mobile assets is frequently performed by trained technicians after the problem has occurred and is completed with the mobile asset in a servicing facility.
One approach for conducting the maintenance and repair of complex, mobile assets involves diagnosing problems after they occur then performing repairs and/or maintenance services as quickly and accurately as possible after the diagnosis is completed. Diagnosing problems and performing the associated maintenance and repairs may involve rather complex processes and procedures when performed in association with major land vehicles, such as locomotives for example. Consequently, waiting for a mobile asset to arrive at a servicing facility before beginning the diagnosis does not provide a service technician with any lead time for planning the use of facilities for performing work on the asset, scheduling personnel to perform the work, ordering parts, etc.
Inefficiencies in diagnosing problems and planning performance of the associated work, for example, may lead to a loss of utilization of that asset. Also, if a mobile asset is detained in any phase of the repair and/or maintenance process longer than is projected then that asset""s return to service may be delayed, leading to a loss of utilization. Similarly, some assets may experience an above average volume of repeatedly malfunctioning behavior that is not effectively cured for indeterminable reasons. Such assets may need to be in a repair and/or maintenance phase with a higher frequency than similarly configured and situated assets due to their repeated malfunctioning. This may lead to the repeatedly malfunctioning asset causing a loss of utilization. Other factors may contribute to a loss of utilization as a function of the events associated with an asset type. Any asset type, such as a fleet of locomotives or a type of locomotive within a fleet, experiencing or causing a loss of utilization may cause a significant economic loss to the operator of the fleet that the operator would rather avoid.
It is known that some mobile assets, such as a locomotive for example, may incorporate on-board sensors that may continually monitor on-board operational parameters of systems, subsystems and/or other components of the asset while in operation. The on-board system may also log fault data or other fault indicators when anomalous operating conditions arise. A technician may study the fault log and/or indicators after a locomotive has arrived in a service yard to identify the nature of the problem and determine whether a repair and/or maintenance service is necessary. Conducting the diagnostics at the service yard may extend the overall amount of time the vehicle is out of service. This may be due to repair and/or maintenance facilities being unavailable when needed due to scheduling conflicts and/or the necessary personnel not being available to perform the required maintenance and/or repair services, for example.
A method of servicing a mobile asset subject to utilization loss factors delaying the completion of servicing and the timely return of the asset to operation is provided, which comprises identifying utilization loss factors that could delay the timely completion of servicing of the mobile asset, identifying service procedures associated with at least one utilization loss factor, providing a database of events associated with the service procedures indicative of a status of completion of the procedures, establishing a schedule for at least one event for the timely completion of the respective service procedure, monitoring said at least one event to determine when the event occurred relative to said scheduled time and if the at least one event is late, providing notice that the relevant utilization loss factor is likely to cause delay in the timely return of the asset to operation unless corrective action is taken.
One aspect allows for identifying utilization loss factors that could delay the timely completion of servicing of the mobile asset, identifying service procedures associated with at least one utilization loss factor, providing a database of conditions associated with each service procedure that are needed at a servicing site for the timely completion of the service procedure, monitoring the conditions in preparation of the initiation of the respective service procedure to confirm that the conditions have been met and if a condition is not met, providing notice that the relevant utilization loss factor is likely to cause delay in the timely return of the asset to operation unless corrective action is taken.
Another aspect allows for identifying utilization loss factors that could delay the timely completion of servicing of the mobile assets, identifying service procedures associated with at least one utilization loss factor, providing a database of events associated with the service procedures indicative of an incorrect diagnosis of the servicing required to return the asset to service, monitoring the events to determine the number of times they occur and if the number of times the events occur is greater than a predetermined number, providing notice that the relevant utilization loss factor is likely to cause delay in the timely return of the asset to operation unless corrective action is taken.
Another aspect allows for identifying utilization loss factors that could delay the timely completion of servicing of the mobile asset, identifying service procedures associated with at least one utilization loss factor, providing a database of events associated with the service procedure requiring the movement of the mobile asset to a predetermined location relative to a servicing site at times set for the occurrence of events, monitoring the position of the mobile asset relative to the servicing site and relative to the times set for the events and if the mobile asset is not in the predetermined position at the time set for an event, providing notice that the relevant utilization loss factor is likely to cause delay in the timely return of the asset to operation unless corrective action is taken.
The ability to monitor and identify vehicles that may experience a loss of utilization allows for maintaining the efficient operation and utilization of a vehicle or fleet of vehicles such as a locomotive or locomotives in a train consist, for example. One aspect allows for a notification to be sent to appropriate personnel managing a servicing procedure, such as the repair, maintenance and/or servicing of a locomotive, indicating that an event has occurred or not occurred that may cause a loss of utilization of the vehicle undergoing a servicing procedure. Notices, such as alarms for example, may be logged within a processor that may be indicative of these events. Appropriate corrective action may be taken by the service technician, or other personnel, in response to the logged alarms in order to minimize or prevent the loss of utilization.